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CASPIR Data Archive Mission & Data Sources Significant Canadian Historians Our Team RCAF Assistance CASPIR Volunteering

CASPIR contains documents, images and history of Canada's military aviation. The personnel and aircraft data has been compiled using data provided by trusted Canadian military aviation historians and original source documents. Where possible source documents are linked.
Research

CASPIR Resources

RCAF Accident Cards (1939-1945) JA Griffin Documents 1968 and 2005 Obtaining a World War II Service File

External Resources

RCAF.info: Research Resources RCAF.info: Finding Your Family Records

Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg

John Griffin was a significant historian, documenting Canada's Military aircraft.
Aircraft

Military Aircraft Associated with Canadians Choose a Specific Aircraft Serial

Lancaster FM213

CWHM flies one of the two airworthy Lancasters in the world. FM213 is usually marked as KB726 honouring Andrew Mynarski, VC.
Personnel

Name or Home Town Search Unit (Squadron) Search Aircraft Type or Serial Search Browse by Letter This Day in History

War Status Search Catastrophic Losses (Ships Hotels Aircraft) Choose Specific Military Cemeteries (WW1 WW2 and Beyond)

Andrew Mynarski, VC

We Shall Remember Them.
History

Education & History
Start Here Glossary Canada and World War II Combatants & First Airmen Casualties Air Force Operations Battle of Britain Women in War War Artists Canada in Korean Air War 1950-1953

Blogs & Articles
CASPIR Overview First World War Neighbourhood - Dufferin & Dupont Canada's First Military Aeroplane 1917

"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
Contact

Parks, William Roland (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-December-18

Pilot Officer William Roland Parks RCAF

Birth Date: 1922

Born:

Parents: Son of Hugh and Kathleen Bell Parks, of Prince Albert.

Spouse:

Home: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

8 BGS- Bombing & Gunnery School

Base

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/27028
Prev: R/107178

Home

Google Map

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Final Burial

Google Map

South Hill Cemetery
Plot 2

LAC Dunlop, Pilot Officer W.R. Parks, Leading Aircraftman T.J. Carroll (RAAF), and Leading Aircraftman T.J. Cook (RAAF) were all killed while on a routine gunnery training exercise when Bolingbroke aircraft - 10181 crashed and burned four miles south-west of the aerodrome at Lethbridge.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1943-12-18

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Bolingbroke 10181

Leading Aircraftman Thomas Joseph Carroll RAAF

Leading Aircraftman Carroll, Thomas Joseph (RAAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-December-18
St Patrick's Cemetery, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Thomas Joseph Cook RAAF

Leading Aircraftman Cook, Thomas Joseph (RAAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-December-18
Mountain View Cemetery, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Durrant Vern Dunlop RCAF

Leading Aircraftman Dunlop, Durrant Vern (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-December-18
Banff Cemetery, Banff, Alberta, Canada

Pilot Officer William Roland Parks RCAF

Pilot Officer Parks, William Roland (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-December-18
South Hill Cemetery, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada

Accident Card - Bristol Bolingbroke Mk. IVT serial:10181

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-December-18. Bolingbroke IVT s/n 10181.

This accident involved 4 people. Cook TJ, Dunlop DV, Parks WR, Carroll TJ

This accident had 4 fatalities. Leading Aircraftman Thomas Joseph Cook RAAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:435377 Bolingbroke 10181, Leading Aircraftman Thomas Joseph Carroll RAAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:431088 Bolingbroke 10181, Leading Aircraftman Durrant Vern Dunlop RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/194972 Bolingbroke 10181, Pilot Officer William Roland Parks RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/27028 Bolingbroke 10181

Unit Desciption

8 BGS (8 Bomb and Gunnery School)

The Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS) offered instruction in the techniques of bomb aiming and aerial machine gunnery to Air Observers, Bomb Aimers, and Wireless Air Gunners. These schools required large areas to accommodate their bombing and gunnery ranges, and were often located near water. The Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Bristol Bolingbroke, and Westland Lysander were the standard aircraft used at B&GS schools.

RCAF Lethbridge AB

Established in 1940 at the present site of Lethbridge Airport CYQL.

More information on the RCAF Station at Lethbridge AB can be found at

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Lethbridge

Museum Bomber Command Museum Of Canada

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts Of Alberta

Museum Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum - 8 BGS

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy